Cob-gate for corn-shellers.



No. 878,037. PATENTED FEB. 4, 1908.

' A. H. a; H. A. BERNS.

00B GATE FOR CORN SHELLERS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.25. 1907.

W'fnesses: hwy/150mfl-ls uomzls PETERS ca, wasnnvoron, o. c.

ANDREW H. BERNS AND HERMAN BERNS, OF OHEBANSE, ILLINOIS.

COB-GATE FOR CORN-SHELLERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4, 1907.

Application-filed February 25. 1907- Serial No. 359.225.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ANDREW HERMAN BERNS and HERMAN ANDREW BERNS, citi Zens of the United States, residing at Chebanse, in the county of Iroquois and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CobGates for Corn- Shellers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to cob gates, or similar devices which are used in connection with corn shellers, to prevent the cobs from being discharged before the corn has been thoroughly shelled from the same. In our preferred form it is used in connection with power shellers having cylindrical shelling cylinders which cooperate with suitable grate-bar casings, or the like, for shelling the corn. Its objects are to provide a simple and eflicient device which will effectually regulate the discharge of the cobs which will assist, to a certain extent, in finishing the shelling; which is automatic in its operation, in that it will yield to allow the cobs to be forced out and will close when few or no cobs are pressing against it, and which may be adjusted for different kinds of corn. e accomplish these objects by means of the device which is shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the discharge end of the corn sheller, parts being broken away or shown in section for convenience in illustration; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same; Fig. 3 is a detail showing the cob gate; and Fig. 4 is a detail showing the adjustable spring for regulating the tension on the gate.

As shown in the drawings, 5 represents the frame of a corn sheller in which is supported a grate-bar casing 6 which cooperates with the shelling cylinder 7 for shelling the corn. The shelling cylinder is mounted on the shaft 8 and is turned in a suitable direction so that the spiral beaters 9 will force the cobs toward the discharge opening 10 in the end of the casing. The cob gate 11, in this particular form, consists of a ring of about the same outer diameter as the opening in the casing, but preferably adapted to fit into said opening for a short distance, and having its inner diameter sufficiently large to clear the end of the cylinder. The inner face of this ring is preferably provided with teeth 12, which will assist in taking off any kernels that may remain on the cobs when they are pressed against it, but these teeth are not in all cases essential.

In order to prevent clogging, the gate is supported by means of arms 13, which extend laterally beyond the sides of the casing. These arms are rigidly secured to bars or rods 14, as by means of set-screws; the bars 14 are supported on the lower ends of arms 15, which are pivotally connected at 16 to the frame 5; and the other ends of the bars 14 are supported by arms 17, which arerigidly secured to a cross -rod 1.8, which passes through suitable bearings in the frame 5 and extends out at one or both sides. By means of this arrangement, it will be noted that the gate 11 may move horizontally with but a slight variation in its vertical position, and

by its horizontal movement may be brought close to, or away from the opening 10 in the end of the shelling casing. In order that this movement may be spring-controlled, we provide an arm 19, which is rigidly secured to the outer end of the rod or shaft 18. A spring 20 connects the end of this arm with another arm 21 which is loosely pivoted on a shaft 18. In order to adjust the tension on the spring 20, the arm 21 is provided with a set-bolt which engages with a slot 22 in another arm 23 which is pivoted at 24 to the side of the frame 5. In practice, we have found that this spring-controlling arrangement is sufficient if placed at one side only of the frame, but it may be duplicated as shown in the drawings.

The operation of this device will be readily understood from the above description and the drawings. When the corn is being shelled, cobs will be pressed against the gate 11 and against the tension of the spring 20, and when the pressure is sufiicient the gate will be pressed open as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, allowing the co bs to be discharged throughout the full circumferential periphery of the gate. The levers and supporting rods, being placed away from the discharge opening, will not become clogged with corn or husks, and therefore the gate will be free to operate at all times. When the corn is damp or tough, the lever 21 may be raised to give greater tension to the spring 20, which in turn will hold the gate more tightly closed and will assure the corn being thoroughly shelled before the cobs are discharged.

Heretofore, when corn was dry and easily shelled, it would frequently occur that the first ears going through the sheller would be only partially shelled; but with this improved gate, the cobs of such first ears will be held in the casing until the following cobs press against them to open the gate, and therefore there will none be discharged without being thoroughly shelled.

In order to prevent husks, or the like, from gathering between the cob gate and end of the frame, we provide a semicircular guard, which is indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2, and which passes over the top of the gate but does not interfere with its longitudinal movement. As far as we are aware, we are the first to provide a yielding or springpressed cob gate for corn shellers, and we wish to claim the same broadly. It will be noted that such spring-pressed gate may vary in form or shape for different kinds of shellers, and we do not wish to limit ourselves to the exact form or description herein shown; but

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a corn sheller, the combination with a shelling cylinder and casing, of a cob gate, corresponding in shape to the end of said casing and mounted adjacent thereto, and means for yieldingly holding said gate in normal position.

2. In acorn sheller, the combination with a shelling cylinder and casing, of a cob gate of substantially ring form mounted at the discharge end of said casing, and means for holding said gate in normal position.

3. The combination with a casing, of a shelling cylinder arranged within said casing and adapted to discharge cobs at the end of said casing, a gate arranged at the end of said casing and adapted to coact therewith and with said shelling cylinder to regulate the discharge of the cobs, said gate being preferably in the form of a ring corresponding with the discharge area at the end of said casing, means for supporting said gate, and means for holding said gate in normally I closed position.

4. In a cob gate for corn shellers, the combination of a ring mounted adjacent to the discharge end of the sheller casing, arms eX- tending from said ring, rods engaging with said arms, pivoted arms for supporting the ends of said rods, arms secured to a shaft and pivoted to the opposite ends of said rods, and a spring for holding said shaft so that the gate will be in a normally closed position.

5. The combination of a casing, a cylinder in said casing, a gate closing between said cylinder and said casing at one end thereof, bars or rods connected with said gate, arms for supporting said bars or rods, and an adjustable spring acting on said arms for holding said gate in closed position.

6. Means for supporting a cob gate mounted adjacent to the discharge end of the sheller casing, comprising arms connected with said gate, a shaft upon which two of said arms are secured, another arm rigidly secured to said shaft, a spring at the end of said arm connected withanother arm loosely mounted on said shaft, and means for adjusting the outer end of the last named arm.

ANDREW H. BERNS. v HERMAN A. BERNS. Witnesses:

.J. F. MoOUEN,

WM. V. MoOUEN. 

